GB2154882A

GB2154882A - Hypodermic instrument with squeezable ampoule

Info

Publication number: GB2154882A
Application number: GB08504428A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Islwyn Edwards
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1984-02-29
Filing date: 1985-02-21
Publication date: 1985-09-18
Also published as: GB8405244D0; GB8504428D0

Abstract

A kit for hypodermic injection uses disposable ampoules 10 and a dispensing apparatus 20. An ampoule 10 is a flexible container 11 of liquid with a tubular needle 12. This is engageable with the dispensing apparatus 20, which is operable to squeeze the container progressively along its length to expel the liquid. E.g. the apparatus 20 has two pivotally connected members 21, 22, which have convex (30) and concave (23) surfaces such that one call roll over the other and squeeze a container between them. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Hypodermic instrument This invention relates to instruments for injecting liquids hypodermically into a patient in medical treatment of a human being or an animal undergoing veterinary treatment.

It is known to provide a hypodermic syringe for injecting patients or animals with drugs in liquid form. Generally a syringe comprises a plunger, a reservoir for containing liquid to be injected into a body of a human being or animal and a tubular needle for directing the liquid into the body hypodermically. The liquid generally is stored in glass ampoules each of which contains a dosage of the liquid, each ampoule being closed and sealed by inner and outer seals so as to ensure that the liquid contained therein is maintained in a sterile condition. Similarly, hypodermic syringes are contained in packaging in order to ensure that the syringes are maintained in a sterile condition until use.

In use, a seal of a package containing a syringe and an outer seal of an ampoule are broken and the needle of the syringe is inserted through the inner said seal of the ampoule. The plunger of the syringe is operated causing the liquid to be drawn into the reservoir from the ampoule by negative pressure. The emptied ampoule then is removed from the needle and the syringe is positioned so that the needle extends upwardly. The plunger is operated to force liquid upwardly of the reservoir and expel air above the liquid out of the reservoir and out of the syringe.

When liquid is ejected from the needle, it is generally assumed that all of any air contained in the syringe has been expelled therefrom. The needle of the syringe then is injected hypodermically into a body and the plunger of the syringe operated so that the liquid is transferred from the reservoir through the needle into the body. The ampoule and syringe usually are disposed of after use.

A disadvantage of such a system is that ejection of liquid in the reservoir of a syringe is not a sure indication that all of the air has been expelled therefrom. A further disadvantage is that it is often necessary to inject a patient or animal quickly using a hypodermic syringe and, when attempting to carry out an injection with all possible speed, the need to operate the plunger of a syringe to expel air prior to carrying out the injection sometimes is overlooked. Failure to remove air from a syringe prior to carrying out an injection can result in embolism in the patient or animal being injected.

Another disadvantage is that, once the contents of an ampoule have been transferred to a syringe, there is no indication as to the characteristics of liquid therein. It is often the practice to place more than one loaded syringe at the disposal of a practitioner so that injections may be carried out in rapid succession and, in cases in which different drugs are to be injected successively, confusion can arise as to the contents of an array of loaded syringes.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided apparatus for dispensing a liquid from an ampoule comprising a container of flexible material for containing the liquid and a tubular needle for conducting the liquid from the container, the apparatus comprising first member for supporting the container of the ampoule and a second member adapted to co-operate with the first member so that when a container of a said ampoule is located between the said members and the said members are operated to co-operate one with another, the container is squeezed progressively in a direction towards the needle thereby expelling contents of the container through the needle.

The second member may be provided with a convex surface for co-operating with the container when located between the two said members so that when the members are operated to co-operate one with another, the convex surface rolls on the container.

The first and second members may each be elongate and an end portion of the second member may be connected to an adjacent end portion of the first member by means of a pivot. In one form, the pivot may be movable.

The second member may be resiliently biased to a predetermined position relative to the first member.

The first member may be provided with a concave surface for receiving the container.

The first member may be provided with means for locating the container between the said members.

The locating means may comprise at least one slot or recess located at an end portion of the first member.

The first and second members may be of transparent material.

Also according to the present invention there is provided an ampoule comprising a container of flexible material for containing liquid and a tubular needle for conducting the liquid from the container wherein an end portion of the needle is received in the container so that when the container is squeezed in a direction progressively towards the needle, the contents of the container are expelled through the needle.

The container may be elongate and may be provided with means at an end portion thereof for co-operating with a locating means of dispensing apparatus specified above. This cooperating means may provide a snap-fit with said locating means.

The container may comprise a tube of thermoplastics material, the tube being heat sealed at opposite end portions thereof.

The needle may be received in a sleeve when the ampoule is in a storage position.

Following is a description, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of several methods of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an elevation of a first ampoule in accordance with the present invention, Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ampoule, Fig. 3 is an elevation of a first form of apparatus for dispensing liquid from the ampoule, Fig. 4 is a view of the apparatus in a direction of the arrow A of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is an underneath plan view of a second form of ampoule, Fig. 6 shows a second form of dispensing apparatus and is a plan view of a supporting member and a second of part of an operating member, Fig. 7 is a side view of the second form of apparatus, the view shown by Fig. 6 being indicated by the line VI-VI, Fig. 8 is a corresponding side view of a third form of dispensing apparatus, which can receive the second form of ampoule shown in Fig. 5, and Fig. 9 is a sectional view on the line IX-IX in Fig.8.

Referring firstly to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, there is shown an ampoule 10 comprising an elongate tube 11 of flexible thermoplastics material having physical characteristics which are unaffected by contact with alcohol and other solvents. The tube 11 has inserted through one end portion thereof an end portion of a tubular needle 12. Opposite end portions of the tube 11 are closed and sealed by a known heat sealing technique so as to provide a transversely extending bead 13 adjacent the needle 12 and a transversely extending bead 14 at an end portion of the tube 11 remote from the needle 12. The needle 12 is located inside a sleeve 15 of plastics material, an end portion of which is sealed to an adjacent portion of the bead 13.

Prior to sealing of the tube 11, a predetermined dosage of a selected liquid is directed into the tube 11 and prior to inserting the liquid into the tube 11, the tube has printed thereon information relating to characteristics of the liquid to be inserted therein.

The liquid is dispensed from the ampoule 10 by means of the apparatus 20 comprising an elongate support member 21 and a cooperating elongate operating member 22, both members being of transparent acrylic material. The support member 21 comprises an elongate concave support surface 23, an end wall 24 upstanding adjacent one end portion and a pair of spaced lugs 25 adjacent an opposite end portion of the support surface 23 and a back plate 26 extending longitudinally of the support surface 23 from the end wall 24 to the lugs 25. The support surface 23 is provided with a transversely extending groove 27 adjacent the lugs 25. The end wall 24 is provided with a slot 28 extending inwardly from one side thereof in a direction transversely of a longitudinal axis of the support surface 23, the slot having an enlarged central portion 28a.The lugs are each provided with a slot 29 extending in a direction upwardly from the support surface 23.

The operating member 22 is elongate and is provided with a convex lower surface 30 and a rectilinear upper surface 31. An end portion of the operating member 22 is provided with a flange 32 extending upwardly from the upper surface 31. The operating member 22 has at an end portion thereof remote from the flange 32 a pair of shafts, one of which is shown at 33, extending in opposite directions outwardly from opposite sides of the operating member 22. The operating member 22 is arranged to be received between the lugs 25 and each of the shafts 33 is received in a corresponding one of the slots 29 and is located therein for movement longitudinally thereof.Each of the slots 29 is provided with a compression spring, one of which is shown at 34, urging the corresponding shaft 33 downwardly of the corresponding slot 29 so that the operating member 22 assumes an inclined position relative to the support member 23 as shown in Fig. 3.

The radius of curvature of the convex lower surface 30 of the operating member 22 is smaller than the radius of curvature of the concave support surface 23.

The dimensions of the apparatus 20 are such that the apparatus may conveniently be held in the hand.

In use, the ampoule is inserted in the apparatus 20 so that the head 14 is received in the groove 27 and the end portion of the tube 11 longitudinally inwardly of the bead 13 is received in the slot 28, an enlarged portion of the tube 11 extending around the inner end portion of the needle 12 being located in the enlarged portion 28a of the slot 28. The tube 11 thus is located on the support surface 23 below the convex lower surface 30 of the operating member 22, the central longitudinal axis of the tube 11 extending substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis of the support member 21 and the operating member 22.

The sleeve 15 then is removed from the needle 12 and the needle is immediately inserted into a patient by holding the apparatus 20 such that the support member 21 nests in the palm of the hand. With the thumb of the hand, a steady downward pressure is exerted on the portion of the upper surface 31 of the operating member 22 adjacent the flange 32 thus squeezing the tube 11 of the ampoule 10 in a line contact therewith extending transversely of the convex lower surface 30 of the operating member 22, the line contact moving progressively towards the needle due to the rolling action of the lower convex surface of the operating member 21 on the tube 11 and the concave support surface 23 of the support member 21, the rolling action being permitted due to the shafts 33 being moved in the slots 29 of the end lugs 25 against the bias of the springs 34.

The effect of the differing curvatures of the two surfaces 23 and 30 and the configuration of the movable pivot defined by the shafts 33 and the corresponding slots 29 is that the transverse line contact of the lower surface 30 of the operating member 22 provides a peristaltic action on the tube 11 in a longitudinal direction thereof towards the needle 12 thereby ensuring that effectively all the liquid contained in the tube 11 is expelled therefrom and is directed through the needle 12 and injected into the patient.

When all the liquid has been expelled from the ampoule 10, pressure on the operating member 22 is released and the operating member returns to the position shown in Fig.

3 due to the bias of the springs 34. The ampoule 10 then is removed from the apparatus 20 and discarded and a fresh ampoule 10 is inserted into the apparatus 20 for a subsequent injection.

It will be appreciated that with an ampoule and apparatus in accordance with the present invention contents of the ampoule 10 are not exposed to air, the risk of error is reduced due to details of the contents of the ampoule 10 being provided on the tube 11 and being visible through the transparent acrylic material of the apparatus 20, insertion of an ampoule 10 into the apparatus 20 is less time consuming than with ampoules and hypodermic syringes known hitherto and the cost of ampoules 10 is considerably reduced compared with the cost of providing disposable hypodermic syringes or sterilisation of reusable hypodermic syringes, known hitherto.

Fig. 5 shows a second form of disposable ampoule 40. It has a container 42 which comprises a flattened tube, of flexible material similar to the tube 11, which is pre-filled with a desired liquid as before and the ends heatsealed. At one end there is welded to the lower face of the tube 40 a wedge-shaped plastics block 44. This has an interior passage 46 which communicates between the interior of the container 42 and a tubular hypodermic needle 12 anchored in the block 44. As previously, a protective sleeve 15 can be provided over the needle.

The block 44 has two slots 48, one each side of the passage 46, and parallel to it and to the needle 12. These slots 48 define two arms 50 of the block which can flex resiliently with respect to the rest of the block.

The ampoule 40 of Fig. 5 may be used in either the dispensing device shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or that shown in Figs. 8 and 9. In both these devices, the way in which the ampoule fits the supporting member is identical. The differences between the devices lies in the form of the operating member.

In Figs. 5 and 6, the operating member 52 is hinged to the supporting member 54, and both have planar co-operating surfaces 56,58.

The hinging is achieved by a pivot pin 60, which passes through a rearward extension 62 of the supporting member 54, and through bifurcate depending projections 64 of the operating member 52 which straddle the extension 62.

In use of this device, the container 42 is first located between the co-operating surfaces 56,58, as described below, and the needle 12 is injected into a body as before. The member 52 is then gradually pressed towards the member 54, hinging about the pin 60, to squeeze the container 42. The contents are expelled through the passage 46 and needle 12 into the body.

In Fig. 8, the operating member 66 and supporting member 68 are integral. The operating member 66 is thinner than the supporting member 68 so that the latter is rigid and the former can flex resiliently with respect thereto. The operating member 66 has a normally convex co-operating surface 70, while the co-operating surface 72 of the supporting member 68 is planar.

Operation of this device is similar to that of Figs. 5 and 6. As the operating member 66 is pressed, it gradually flattens until its co-operating surface 70 is parallel to the surface 72.

Again, this squeezes out the contents of the container.

In both devices, an ampoule 40 is removably located in the supporting member 54,68 as follows. The front end of the upper surface 58,72 of the supporting member has a wedge-shaped, front-opening recess 74, in which is removably received the block 44 of the ampoule 40. The side surfaces of the recess 74 are undercut at 76, and as seen in Fig. 9 the side edges 78 of the block 44 have a matching chamfered profile. This ensures that the block 44 wedges snugly in the recess 74 without any possibility of vertical displacement out of the recess. When the block 44 is fully engaged in the recess, the container 42 is correctly located between the co-operating surfaces of the supporting and operating members.

Positive location of the block 44 in the recess 74 is assured as follows. The arms 50 of the block 44 each have a vertical notch 80 on their outside edges. At the mouth of the recess 74 there are corresponding post-like formations 82 which slightly restrict the entry to the undercut side edges 76. When the block 44 is pushed fully home, the notches 80 are a removable snap-fit engagement with the formations 82, by reason of the resilience of the arms 50.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing a liquid from an ampoule comprising a container of flexible material for containing the liquid and a tubular needle for conducting the liquid from the container, the apparatus comprising a first member for supporting the container of the ampoule and a second member adapted to cooperate with the first member so that when a container of a said ampoule is located between the said members and the said members are operated to co-operate one with another, the container is squeezed progressively in a direction towards the needle thereby expelling contents of the container through the needle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second member is provided with a convex surface for co-operating with the container when located between the two said members so that when the members are operated to cooperate one with another, the convex surface rolls on the container.

3. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the first member is provided with a concave surface for receiving the container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 as appendant on claim 2 wherein the convex surface has a smaller radius of curvature than the concave surface.

5. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said members are elongate and an end portion of the second member is connected to an adjacent end portion of the first member by means of a pivot.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 as appendant on claims 3 and 2 or on claim 4 wherein the pivot is movable transversely to the pivoting axis so that the convex surface can roll on the concave one on pivoting.

7. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the second member is resiliently biased to a predetermined position relative to the first member.

8. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the first member is provided with means for locating the container between the said members.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the locating means comprise at least one slot or recess located at an end portion of the first member.

10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein one or both of the members is transparent.

11. Apparatus for dispensing a liquid from an ampoule substantially as any herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

12. An ampoule for use with dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim and comprising a container of flexible material for containing liquid and a tubular needle for conducting the liquid from the container wherein an end portion of the needle is received in the container so that when the container is squeezed in a direction progressively towards the needle, the contents of the container are expelled through the needle.

13. An ampoule according to claim 12 wherein the container comprises a tube of thermoplastics material, the tube being heat sealed at opposite end portions thereof.

14. An ampoule according to claim 12 or 13 further including a detachable sleeve in which the needle is received for storage.

.

15. An ampoule according to any of claims 12 to 14 having printed thereon information relating to characteristics of the liquid to be inserted therein.

16. An ampoule substantially as any herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

17. A dispensing kit comprising at least one dispensing apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 11 and at least one ampoule according to any of claims 12 to 16.

18. A dispensing kit according to claim 17 comprising an apparatus and an ampoule with respective locating means which are engageable to locate them together for use.

19. A dispensing kit according to claim 18 wherein the locating means engage with a snap-fit.

20. A dispensing kit substantially as any herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.